The family of 22-year-old Hailey Jennings is advocating for Hailey’s Law following her murder on November 7, 2025, in Jefferson County. The proposed legislation would allow judges to temporarily restrict access to firearms during domestic or mental-health crises, giving families and courts a chance to intervene before a tragedy occurs. Hailey’s relatives, including her father, have been meeting with Missouri lawmakers in Jefferson City to push for the measure.
David "Dave" Jennings, Hailey's father, has taken the lead on the effort and told reporters that Missouri currently has no red-flag laws in place, a gap he hopes this bill will fill, according to KSDK. The family has met with lawmakers and created a memorial at Hailey's workplace, where she had recently been promoted from apprentice to journeyman, the outlet reports. Supporters describe the measure as a narrowly tailored, short-term court tool rather than any kind of permanent firearm confiscation.
What Hailey's Law Would Do
Hailey's Law would create an extreme risk order of protection that allows an ex parte, temporary removal of firearms from a home when a family member shows escalating signs of danger tied to domestic violence or serious mental-health distress, supporters say. Those orders would be time-limited, subject to judicial review, and include due-process protections, according to KTTN. Backers stress that the tool is meant to be used only in narrow crisis windows when families fear someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others.
Why Supporters Say It's Needed
Advocates for the bill point to Missouri's high rate of domestic violence and to the outsized role guns play in domestic homicides. Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs and the Jennings family cited statistics, including that Missouri ranks third in the nation for domestic-violence incidents and that more than 600 American women are shot each year, to press their case, according to KSDK. They argue that giving families access to an early legal intervention could help keep firearms out of the hands of someone teetering on the edge of violence.
Next Steps In Jefferson City
Rep. Fuchs, who represents parts of St. Louis in the Missouri House, plans to file the bill in Jefferson City and has described Hailey's Law as "about saving lives," her office said, according to KTTN. Her legislative profile, which includes her committee assignments and Jefferson City contact information, is available through the Missouri House Democratic Caucus. Lawmakers are expected to set hearings and take public testimony in the coming weeks.
Legal Considerations
If Hailey’s Law advances, legislators will need to consider how the state would enforce it and address civil liberties concerns, while also weighing advocates’ arguments for a fast, court-supervised option in crisis situations. Supporters say the proposal balances these interests through judicial oversight and strictly time-limited orders.
